Belfast’s Deputy Lord Mayor has criticised the City Council as “unrepresentative” and argued new remote technology is key in encouraging women, disabled persons, carers and those with long term illnesses into politics.
Alliance Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor Michelle Kelly at the most recent meeting of the full council forwarded a motion celebrating the new technology as an opportunity to further democratise and broaden political representation, and calling on Stormont to extend legislation.
Councils were provided with flexibility to hold meetings by remote or hybrid means through legislation introduced during the pandemic by the Stomont Department for Communities. The legislation is in place until the end of September and the department has consulted on council’s views on the technology.
